Viñales denies Bezzecchi late on to put KTM on top at Aragon Test. Three manufacturers in the top three and a flurry of late times, Aragon’s busy Official Test sees plenty of new items rolled out. 

New items and stories were promised; new items and an abundance of stories were delivered. The Official Test at MotorLand Aragon – following Round 8 of the year – gave us plenty to get stuck into, from late improvements, new aero packages, carbon fibre swingarms, fairing adaptations and a star debutant who impressed many. Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) edged out Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) by 0.006s with a 1’47.694 on his last flying lap to go P1, with Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) third, 0.049s covering the top three at the end of play. 

KTM: plenty of new parts seen across both garages

KTM had another busy test, just like at Jerez in April. Starting with Viñales and teammate Enea Bastianini, they had a revised front fairing, very similar to Ducati’s, whilst both were spotted using the salad boxes (or mass dampers to be more technical) at the rear of the bike, which was hailed as a positive to dial out chatter, but only when set up correctly, otherwise it exacerbates the issue. This was previously seen in the pre-season tests, but only Bastianini has used it regularly. Viñales was up inside the top three in the afternoon heat, before a final flying lap took him to the top. ‘Bestia’ went faster than he did all weekend, coming away with P16. 

Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Brad Binder both donned new ‘stegosaurus’ wings, seen for the first time with the Austrian manufacturer. Acosta fell at Turn 7 before lunch but then went out without any rear aero at all, so experimenting was certainly the call of the day for the #37. Both riders tried a new side fairing too, potentially for engine cooling purposes. Acosta was out on track into the final hour and completed it a solid fifth, whilst the #33 of Binder set personal best laps in the closing 30 minutes to finish P13.

Besides the four regular riders, Pol Espargaro was present, taking 19th at the flag and doing important work. All KTMs continued well into the last hour, improving as the temperature dropped back down.

APRILIA: new aero and a debut for a new rider

Trialling a new front fairing and with good feedback, Aprilia. The shape is slightly altered and instead of it being more angular, it’s now simpler and has a straight down outer edge. Then, the wings on the front have also changed slightly, with a more pronounced side edge to them but really, it’s a minor update.

Other work included engine management, chassis setup and electronics, all to improve stability coming out of corners. Test rider Lorenzo Savadori was busy as usual but a crash at Turn 8 brought out a brief stoppage. Bezzecchi was a late improver up the order to P5 before topping the times on a 1’47.700, until ultimately finishing P2 by just 0.006s; Savadori was 20th.

Whilst the factory riders looked for corner exit stability, it was a whole different approach at Trackhouse Aprilia as Manuel Gonzalez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) debuted on MotoGP machinery and was instantly quick. Deputising for the injured Ai Ogura, ‘Manugas’ was straight on the pace and despite a Turn 2 fall, impressed team boss Davide Brivio, who spoke of how “proud” he was to give a chance to a young rider who deserves it. The #18 improved in the final laps to move into P21, whereas team leader Raul Fernandez was also in action and improved late on to go P12. For all Aprilias, it was a vital test in hot temperatures, a weakness in 2024 and something they’ll continue to face as the season evolves.

DUCATI: Pecco enjoying new fairing, Marquez into 1’45s immediately 

Ducati were working on a new fairing, previously seen in pre-season and whilst Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) enjoyed it but wasn’t 100% sure, Championship leader and teammate Marc Marquez echoed the #63. That was the main item for the factory team to test, not wanting to upset the good feeling that they enjoyed on Sunday. Asked whether or not this will be used for Pecco at Mugello, team boss Davide Tardozzi stated that it’s likely to be seen at Mugello, whilst also saying: “I think we have Pecco back.”

Come the close of the day, Marc was P2 whilst Pecco was ninth but the feeling was the main reference of success.

For BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP, Fermin Aldeguer was in brilliant form and up inside the top two on the combined sheets for a good part of the day before finishing P4. He spent time working on front feeling after a weekend where he lacked total confidence. Teammate Alex Marquez took P8 and worked on suspension and electronics settings.

In the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team box, improving the feeling was key as well as getting set for their home Grand Prix at Mugello, something they dedicated a portion of the day to. Franco Morbidelli suffered a crash at Turn 10 in the closing stages of the day, but it was a good day besides that in P6. Teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio was 11th after getting to grips with Ducati’s new front fairing, he was doing plenty of running on that alongside Marc Marquez and Pecco. 

YAMAHA: swingarms remain pivotal, V4 later in the week in Barcelona

Over at Yamaha and it was a productive day with plenty of items to try; whilst Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) had the same swingarm in the morning as he used throughout the weekend, teammate Alex Rins was using a newer version as well as back-to-backing it with the old one. On the aero front, the latest package continues to be used by Quartararo, and Rins, whilst keeping the old aero package at the front, tried other aspects of aerodynamic work. The #42 also crashed twice – once at Turn 12 and the other after running off at Turn 8 – but both riders finished early, choosing not to cause confusion with the extra grip created after three days of track action. P7 for Fabio, P18 for Alex.

At the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP squad, swingarms were the biggest call of the day too, with both varieties showcased. Yamaha’s problem has been rear grip, and this is something that is always at a premium at circuits like Aragon and Barcelona-Catalunya. That’s why the full-time riders are here this week as well as Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira joining official test rider Augusto Fernandez on track in Barcelona in a few days – where Fernandez and fellow official test rider Andrea Dovizioso will be using the latest version of Yamaha’s V4. For Miller and Oliveira, a steady but positive day, 14th and 15th respectively. 

HONDA: evolution, not revolution

In the Honda camp, the main talking point centred on Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) testing the carbon fibre swingarm, which test rider Aleix Espargaro first raced with at the Spanish GP. With the absence of Mir’s teammate Luca Marini, a lot of the testing load was placed on the 2020 World Champion’s shoulders. Mir was P10 and ensured all five manufacturers were present inside the all-important top ten, something to keep an eye on moving forward.

Team Manager Alberto Puig commented that other small items were being run during the Test by Mir. French GP winner Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) also tried and liked the new swingarm, and rookie Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda LCR) continued to chip away, but there was nothing radical in terms of engine and aerodynamic parts as HRC make small gains with the RC213V. Zarco took 17th whilst Chantra completed the order in 22nd.

So that’s a wrap from MotorLand Aragon! A weekend off arrives before we get going again at the iconic Mugello for the Italian Grand Prix. See you there. 

Head over to motogp.com for interviews, highlights and more from the Aragon Test!

MotoGP Aragon Test results

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More from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM Tech3: 

Viñales stands out at Aragón Test and tops the timesheets with new all-time lap record at Motorland. 

The Red Bull KTM Tech3 MotoGP™ squad was not done yet with Motorland post Aragón Grand Prix, as a busy day of testing awaited Maverick Viñales and Enea Bastianini on Monday with hot temperatures and good track conditions. The team stood out with Maverick Viñales showing incredible testing pace all day long to end the day at the top of the timesheets with a new benchmark set in 1’45.694, followed closely by Marco Bezzecchi and Marc Marquez. Enea Bastianini completed 66 laps and closed an important day of testing in 16th.

The outcome on Sunday was not the expected one after Maverick Viñales crashed in the final laps of Sunday’s race while he was on his way to score big points, but that did not undo the motivation of ‘Top Gun’ who was amongst the first riders to hit the track at 10am this morning as the pitlane opened for the morning session. There was plenty of work for the Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider with different aeros packages and ergonomy configurations to try out, an updated engine configuration as well as working out electronics. The target for the KTM squad was to define the best aero package after gathering all the data collected by all riders on track on Monday, including Red Bull KTM Factory test rider Pol Espargaro, all of this under the supervision of Dani Pedrosa. The number 12 was already in 1’46.648 after just an hour on track, with Marc Marquez having set the first benchmark just 0.099 secs faster. A few laps later, the championship leader had clocked in a 1’45.749 as the temperatures continued to increase, while Viñales was working hard with many laps to improve the overall feeling of the KTM. As the flag was out to mark the end of session 1 at 13:00, the Spaniard slotted into second with a 1’46.058 with less than two minutes remaining, as he continued showing some incredible pace in testing. The work resumed at around 3pm for Maverick who continued to get the laps in to gather as much info needed to be able to make the right decisions for the near future. Fast all day, ‘Top Gun’ ended the Aragón Test on a high as he set the fastest lap of the day with a 1’45.694 in the final minutes. Great job for the #12 who once again showed his known testing pace, after 88 laps completed today.

Enea Bastianini was counting on this Aragón test, with the Italian still struggling to get his way around the RC16. Some positives were seen this weekend, but Bastianini struggled with the limits of the package in the race, still bothered by vibrations at the front and the lack of handling in the corners entries. The main focus of the day for the number 23 were the aerodynamics and the electronics, two very important points for the Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider. Alongside his KTM fellow teammates, he also supported the tries of different aero packages to participate in the data gathering which will support the choice of a new aero configuration. Enea was out early too this morning. 37 laps were completed at the end of session 1, with a fastest in 1’47.011 (+0.5 faster than his Q1 time) placing him 15th halfway through the day. The Italian did another 25 laps in the afternoon’s session with a best in 1’47.105 to close this testing day in 16th of the timesheets. Bastianini will be looking forward to bringing all this extra and much-needed track time to the next round in Mugello, his home turf, as we now head to the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello for the Italian Grand Prix on June 20-21-22.

Maverick Viñales: “Today was a very positive day for us, we worked very hard all together. We wanted to find some improvements on the bike’s turning, and we achieved the target, so it is a plus for the next races. We tried a new aero package, with which I felt good, so we need to understand if we will homologate it or not. That said, I also feel good with my standard one, so we will carefully check all the data to make that decision. It was very important for us to be at the level of the top guys, we have kept riding and kept improving with the bike, so I am very pleased with all the work achieved with the team today. Thank you to all!”

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More from a press release issued by Ducati Lenovo Team: 

Ducati Lenovo Team takes another step forward at the MotorLand test. 

The Aragón GP weekend is officially over for the Ducati Lenovo Team on track today for a session of official tests. Positive results for Marc Márquez and Francesco Bagnaia who tested new settings and aerodynamic configurations on the Desmosedici GP.

Good feelings for Marc, absolute dominator of the GP and leader in the general standings, who took full advantage of today’s session. A total of 73 laps and a best lap time of 1’45.749, a chrono that means the final P3.

A productive day and several tests also for Pecco, finally back on the podium yesterday and looking for the right confidence in riding. He completed 72 laps and signed a best time of 1’46.391 which sees him in P9 in the combined standings.

The next appointment for both, in less than two weeks, at the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello circuit, the ninth round of the 2025 MotoGP season and Ducati’s home race.

Marc Márquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) – 3rd (1’45.749)
“A very positive day, I’m happy with the work done. We focused today’s work on the new aerodynamic package because the next test will be at the end of the summer in Misano and it will be too late to homologate any new parts. I tried some different combinations in terms of fairings, between the new and the old, and the balance is positive. We haven’t take any decisions yet, but we will analyze the data to better understand which direction to go. I’m happy, it was a busy day, but I completed the work program and I’m satisfied”.

Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – 9th (1’46.391)
“A very positive test, I’m regaining my riding confidence and I tried the new aerodynamic package. There are pros and cons, in the fast corners we made a step, but in other points the bike moves a lot. We need more data and we are lucky because Michele (Pirro) will be on track this week in Barcelona for a test. I also tried a new swingarm, but there is such a lot of grip on track it is not easy to make comparisons. We will check what to bring to Mugello”.

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More from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP : 

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Conclude Aragon Test With Positive Feedback. 

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins made the most of the available time in today’s one-day Aragon MotoGP Official Test, evaluating various testing items. They completed the day in 7th and 18th place respectively in the combined Session 1 + Session 2 results.

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Fabio Quartararo and Álex Rins returned to the scene of the Grand Prix of Aragon for a one-day IRTA Test. With a full-on programme waiting for them, the duo worked diligently and wrapped up the Aragon MotoGP Official Test in 7th and 18th place respectively in the combined classifications.

The Aragon Test was divided into two parts: Session 1 from 10:00-13:00 and Session 2 from 13:20-18:00 (GMT+2).

In preparation for the remainder of the season, Quartararo tried a new engine spec and a partially updated fairing, and he completed the test with a positive feeling. He also tried an updated setting, based on the Aragon GP weekend data, for future reference at the MotorLand Aragón. He completed 40 laps in the morning session, setting a best time of 1’46.213s (lap 29) that put him in 4th place in the results, 0.464s off the fastest time. In the afternoon session, he added 34 laps. His best effort, a 1’46.427s posted on lap 28, had him finish 7th in the Session-2 timesheets, 0.733s from first. His faster morning time also had him rank 7th in the combined timesheets, 0.519s from the top.

Rins was keen to get back on track to try the updated engine and aerodynamics and also spent some time tweaking his bike’s set-up. He completed 41 laps in Session 1. The 1’47.366s (lap 30) he posted put him in 18th place in the morning results, with a 1.617s gap to first. Rather than getting into time-attack mode and making the most of the more grippy conditions in the late afternoon, the Spaniard decided to only ride in conditions similar to the Aragon Race for comparison reasons. To complete his programme, he put in 19 more laps in the afternoon. His best time, a 1’47.430s clocked on lap 16, saw him in 17th position in the Session-2 results, 1.736s from first. His faster morning time had him end the Aragon Test in 18th position in the overall timesheets, 1.672s off the fastest time.

The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team will now enjoy a one-week break before the Mugello-Assen double header, which starts with the Grand Prix of Italy held from 20-22 June.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI – Team Director, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP : 

“We had some little updates here: a new engine spec – the version that Augusto tested here during the race weekend – and new aerodynamics parts. We also always explore some chassis and electronic set-ups that we don’t have time for during the race weekend. But testing all these things would have taken longer than what we had time for. Our current course of action is that, if the riders don’t give any negative feedback, it means this is the way forward. We could see an improvement in the data for the engine and the aerodynamics. The riders didn’t notice too much of a difference, but also in this case we will continue in this direction. For our team, the rest of the test was a matter of fine-tuning for the upcoming double-header in Mugello and Assen, while the Test Team and Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP will take part in the two-day private Barcelona test this week.”

FABIO QUARTARARO – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider : 

“We tried a new engine and an updated aero. It looks like the new engine can give us a little something for Mugello, which is positive. We have also tried some electronics because we struggled with that during this race weekend in Aragon. But in Mugello we will still start with our usual base set-up, because Aragon was a special circumstance. The grip of the track was so high today that we could make the lap times much easier. I did four laps in a row without being in a time-attack that were faster than my qualifying lap. So, you can see the massive difference grip makes, which is what we missed yesterday.”

ÁLEX RINS – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Rider: 

“We tested many new items, including the swing arm that we had already used earlier in the Aragon GP some days ago. We also had new fairings and new side panels – it was a great day today! I like it a lot, the way it works. It looks like we gain a bit in the middle of the corners. So, it was quite positive. We also improved our pace a bit. As soon as I noticed that the grip level was massive, just after 3pm, I stopped riding because the difference can create confusion when comparing data. We did our test and finished with a good feeling. I had a small crash in T12, but without consequences. Let’s see how we get on in Mugello in two weeks’ time. For sure, we will start with our base set-up again, but at the moment I’m feeling quite comfortable with how the test went.”

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More from a press release issued by Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP : 

Positive Signs for Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP in Aragon Test, Eyes Now on Barcelona and Mugello. 

During the collective IRTA test day that extended the Aragon GP weekend, the two Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP riders, Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira, were able to carry out extensive work, both to address the issues they faced during the race weekend and to evaluate several updates brought by Yamaha‘s racing department, starting with a new evolution of the engine and a revised swingarm. Looking ahead to the Italian GP at Mugello, scheduled for the weekend of June 22, Jack and Miguel will return to action on Wednesday and Thursday for two days of private Yamaha testing at Montmelò.

After a challenging race weekend that highlighted key areas of improvement, the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP team returned to the track today at Motorland Aragon for a full day of collective testing open to all MotoGP teams. It was a valuable session, allowing Jack and Miguel to focus on resolving some of the key issues that affected their recent performances, particularly in terms of vibration and tire usage and management on a track with relatively low grip levels.

Alongside this setup work, both riders were tasked with testing several technical updates developed by Yamaha‘s engineers. These included a small but significant new evolution of the inline-four engine — the second of the season following the one introduced after the Spanish GP at Jerez — as well as a new swingarm. They also carried out some tests on the aerodynamics and electronics, all with the goal of improving the YZR-M1’s performance both in terms of one-lap pace and race consistency.

By the end of the day, both Miller and Oliveira expressed satisfaction with the updates, noting small but clear steps forward. Miller set his fastest time of 1146”661 in the morning session, just ahead of Oliveira, who recorded a best lap of 1‘46”680. Oliveira also experienced a harmless low-side crash at Turn 2 early in the day.

With the Aragon weekend now behind them, and the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello coming up on the weekend of June 22, the team remains in Spain. Jack and Miguel will join Yamaha‘s test team for two private and closed-door testing days at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Wednesday and Thursday.

GINO BORSOI – Team Director, Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP: 

“I am happy with how the day went because we were able to understand a lot of things—much more than over the entire race weekend—and that‘s exactly what I was hoping for. We tested some new aero parts and an updated engine version, and it seems like we‘re once again heading in the right direction. Overall, the riders were satisfied. They found a better pace, and we were also able to address some of the issues we experienced during the race. I‘m looking forward to the two test days in Barcelona on Wednesday and Thursday, where we‘ll be able to make an important comparison on a track that‘s quite different from this one. If the test goes well and the new updates work at Montmelò too, we‘ll be ready to use them straight away at the next race in Mugello.”

JACK MILLER – Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Rider: 

“We had a few things to test today, which was obviously good. We did some comparisons between the new and old swingarm, and we‘ll keep working on that. The engine upgrade wasn‘t anything major, to be honest, but it‘s still an upgrade nevertheless. We were shaking that down and also worked on the traction control, since we had a new evolution to try, which was nice. The overall feeling was good. We were trying to solve a few of the issues we had over the weekend. Now I‘m looking forward to the two days of testing in Barcelona to try a few more options and gather some new ideas.”

MIGUEL OLIVEIRA – Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Rider: 

“It was a productive day. I had an updated engine version and a different swingarm to test, plus some smaller electronic changes, a new linkage, and the updated aero package that Quartararo is already using. Overall, everything felt quite positive—I immediately felt much more competitive than I had been throughout the weekend. Things are moving in a more positive direction, and we‘ll repeat all these tests in Barcelona during the next two test days. I feel like these updates could really help us in the upcoming races. With so many different tracks coming up, we need to find a way to adapt quickly to the varying layouts and grip conditions. This morning, I also had a small crash at Turn 2—nothing major. It was on the third lap with the tire already up to temperature. I exited Turn 1 a bit quicker than usual and tried to cut a few meters by hitting a later apex, but it didn‘t work out.”

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More from a press release issued by Honda HRC Castrol : 

Honda HRC Castrol continue working in Aragon

Another in season test, another chance to find more speed – Joan Mir led the Honda HRC Castrol team through a productive Monday in MotorLand Aragon as temperatures rose and lap times dropped.

After achieving his best result of the season so far, Joan Mir was back on his Honda RC213V for a post-race Test in Aragon. Completing a total of 64 laps across the day, the #36 was able to try the new swing arm assessed by the Honda HRC Test Team as well as a number of setup options to improve performance. A best lap of 1’46.419 saw Mir end the single day of running in tenth place, seventh tenths back on Viñales. The time was some three tenths faster than his Q2 time from the weekend.

Now the true heart of the MotoGP season begins as seven double-headers will see out the rest of the year between June 20th, in Mugello, and November 16th in Valencia.

Joan Mir – TENTH –   1’46.419 : 

“Positive today, trying a few things to make some progress, be more competitive and find some more grip. I don’t think we have had a revolution today, but we certainly found some good steps and I think we were able to gain in acceleration as well. We also tried some things with the electronics, a good use of a day like today. As a rider you always want more and of course there are parts and areas we need to keep working on. But, coming into today I wanted to make progress with acceleration or top speed, and we have done that, so I leave here happy.”

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More from a press release issued by CASTROL Honda LCR : 

• The focus was on evaluating a variety of new components provided by HRC, along with different electronics and settings, all aimed at improving certain areas of the bike.
• The team took advantage of stable weather conditions to carry out an interesting testing program throughout the day.
• The information gathered will be instrumental as the team continues to work closely with HRC ahead of the upcoming races.
• The final position on the timesheets does not reflect the true potential, as no time-attack runs were done and no new tyres were used; the priority was to follow the test plan and gather meaningful information.